Love the new game!

We had wind here too in East Ottawa, Canada yesterday!  Wow.  Didn't stop us from going out either though!  We are the Irish Setter and Portuguese Water Dog gang!  hahaha 
My curly did great!  And didn't worry to much about the wind.  My girlfriends horse though, wasn't too happy with the conditions.  Getting a bit riled up a few times.  I think Sunny was a good influence since he just moved along without caring.
Bringing me to Aprils game! Yahoo!  Now you're talking my style!  I LOVE doing this stuff.  And with two small kids around, I can't ride too often so I do THIS stuff!  I swear I have more creativity than my kids!   Whatever I can dream up ... putting stuff on Sunny, over him, around him, have him jump, touch, paw, climb.  Because I do it all mostly from the ground.  But it transfers to the saddle.  He's only be saddle broke (by very unproffesional me) for less than 5 months but he went along a trail yesterday (only still using a rope halter with reins) totally loose rein, at a canter, saw something he didn't really like.... just loped along, drifting slightly (which I allow with no worries) and never broke gait!  I was so pleased with him.  Wind whipping, his buddy far behind us and cantering along.
I believe this de-spooking, desensitizing stuff is GOLD!  It not only helps the horse go 'left-brain' and calm but more importantly! it shows the owner / rider HOW the horse deals with his / her nerves and how to help them overcome it.  Because there is a good chance, if you ride a horse, they will spook or be weary of something!  How the rider deals with it can make or break the situation.  I have learned Sunny's 'cues' about when he is tense and not feeling confident and I know how to help him now BEFORE the blow up comes.  Because I've done so much of this ground work, desensitizing stuff.  It's made him more left brain confident and it's made me more confident and relaxed. 
Yey RAC for promotting such valuable training. 
Take the time it takes, don't push your horse through his thresholds, if you are patient, he will offer to break through his thresholds himself and he will thank you for understanding him ;-)
Cyndi Morin